Reinventing Freddy's
by calius
Summary: I have been searching desperately for a job ever since I finished my last year of highschool. Finally I've found a place that is willing to hire me, but I'm not sure that everything is as it seems at Freddy Fazbear's. This restaurant is in serious need of a change, but I'm sure I can turn it around... with a bit of help.
1. My new job

Hey all! I decided to switch it up a bit with a fanfic about my favorite horror game ever. Five Nights at Freddy's.

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Reinventing Freddy's

Chapter One: Welcome to the Freddy Family

Finally, an interview. And on the same day I had applied too!

I almost couldn't believe it. I couldn't describe the level of excitement rushing through me. After two months of job hunting, sending out resumes, asking upfront, and practically begging for a job, finally I got a call back from an old Pizza place within biking distance, and it wasn't just any old pizza parlor. It was a job as a night guard for Freddy Fazbear's Pizza, a quote "Magical place for kids and grown-ups alike." Oh yes, everyone in town, if not the country knew about Freddy's.

The place's gimmick was that it had robotic singing animals that you could watch and listen to while you ate. Freddy's used to be really popular back in the seventies to mid-eighties, but bad things kept happening there, when one of their "Performers" bit a little girl's forehead off, the business suffered. To make matters worse, a few years later an entire children's party was kidnapped, they were presumed dead but the bodies were never recovered. Not long after the kids had disappeared the animatronics started to stink and leak strange fluids, it was later discovered that someone had broken in and poured some sort of stinking liquid into their suits.

I remembered going to Freddy's a few times as a kid and in the past few years with friends after school. I have to mention now how obvious it was that the place was suffering. The paint on the walls was faded, the black and white tiles were more yellow and grey, and the animatronics themselves looked pretty abused too, not to mention that one of them, Foxy, was shut down after nomming that poor girl's face, taking some of her brain with it. Surprisingly she lived, though she still had memory problems and a horrible scar where they had to re-attach the front of her skull. Oh, and hallucinations, like, major ones. Later it was revealed that she had tugged on a loose wire sticking out of the thing's neck, causing what could almost be described as a reflexive jerk forward as it was closing its mouth also breaking the hinge for the pirate's jaw. He was never put on display again.

So yeah, the restaurant was tattered and admittedly, in their dilapidated and outdated state, the remaining robots were pretty creepy to some people, including me. But what they lacked in décor they made up for with food. Their pizza was amazing, as were their cakes, but those might have been the only things keeping the place afloat.

So there I was at around six fifty, in front of Freddy Fazbear's Pizza, where I would wait for my interview which was to take place at seven o' clock sharp. I looked at my watch and sighed, glad to be on time, I parked my bike out front and chained it to a pole that attached the awning to the entrance.

Walking in I could hear and see the commotion that was always present in a kiddie themed restaurant. Party hats were scattered everywhere, while a waiter halfheartedly picked them up, knowing that he would be doing so again just minutes later, a few families were scattered around with children either screaming and running around or slopping pizza everywhere, there was a mother trying to gather her little herd of five or six of the little monsters before an employee, a short, skinny girl, only coming up about to my mouth in height, she looked to be around my age with curly red hair pulled into a loose bun, she walked over and got the kid's attention before smiling up at the woman and walking them to the exit.

While she was ushering the group out of the door she happened to glance up at me, loitering in the corner by the entrance.

Striding up to me with a smile full of green braces that matched her eyes, she beamed, "Hi! Welcome to Freddy Fazbear's! Can I take your order?" She slipped a pen and a notepad from her uniform pocket and clicked them together. Her nametag read "Rachel"

"Um, no. I'm here for an interview, at seven? I was supposed to meet Cassandra in her office."

She gave a surprised gasp before giggling, "Oooh, You must be the new girl. I'll take you to her office now, it's not like she's busy."

Grabbing my hand, she weaved between the tables and rugrats toward the opposite end of the room, stopping in front of the door marked "office" to the right of the stage.

"Alright, here you are, just walk on in. I've gotta go take care of table four. Good luck!" She waved.

I sighed, smoothing the creases out of my skinny jeans and pulling my shirt down so that it wasn't wrinkled. Looking around, I tried my best to covertly adjust my bra strap. I smoothed down my brown, almost black hair and did a once over of my makeup using my compact.

'Stop it!' I thought to myself, 'It's fine, you look fine. Just go in, smile, and remember to breathe. Got it.'

Bracing myself, I pushed the door open with a click to see a middle aged woman with light brown hair sitting behind an old wooden desk. She was looking over what appeared to be some official company documents when I came in. When she heard the door open she immediately dropped everything she was doing, shoving the papers into the desk drawer she picked up a pair of slim librarian style glasses. Putting them on, she stared at me questioningly.

"Hi, I'm here about the interview. I know I'm a couple minutes early but-"

"Oh, you're Alexis then. Come on in you're fine!" She gestured towards the chair in front of the desk, "Go on and sit down, this shouldn't take us long!"

I sat down, noting the blandness of the office I was in. The only real sign of personalization seemed to be a spiky little plant in the windowsill.

"So, we already know each other's names, and I've read your resume. I'll just be asking a few questions to see if you are right for the job." She explained, folding her hands together on the desk.

I smiled over to her, "Alright, fire away."

Her smirk almost looked like a grimace, "Alright, what made you want to become a security guard?"

Clasping my hands together, I replied, "Well, in all honesty I really need the job. I just recently graduated high school and I've been searching a while. Plus, the add said that it was a night position and I've always been a bit of a night owl, so it seemed a good fit."

"Really? You aren't planning on going to college this fall?"

"Ha! I don't think I could stand any more school. Don't get me wrong, I got good grades, I'm a diligent worker, but the prospect of spending thousands of dollars to go into a career I'm not even sure I'd like yet just doesn't sound all that great to me. I'd much rather explore my options."

She nodded thoughtfully then continued the interview, asking me mostly mundane questions that didn't have much to do with my abilities until I started asking questions, most of which she prattled on about for minutes at a time.

We were almost an hour in when I finally asked what I'd been dying to since the whole thing started.

"Um, if you don't mind my asking, how is Freddy's doing? In a business sense?"

She crossed her arms, "Well, honestly it's getting pretty bad. At this point I don't see us lasting til the end of the year. It's a shame too. This used to be a great place."

"Oh. Why exactly do you need a night guard in the first place? There doesn't seem to be much here that someone could just walk away with."

She frowned hard, "Well, we have secret recipes… You know, actually, I think this should be covered in the introductory recording. You'll listen to it on your first night."

"Wait, does… Does this mean I got the job?" I asked, excitement and relief building in my chest.

"That depends, can you come in tonight?"

I nearly fell out of my chair at the question, "Yes! I mean, I didn't think it would happen that fast but, of course I can."

Her smile returned and she stood up, "Welcome to the Freddy family. As soon as we take care of all the paperwork, I'll hand you off to Rachel. She'll give you the tour and help you with your uniform. I'll expect you here, in it at eleven fifty tonight, on the dot, that's when I'll hand you your keys. Make sure to be in the security office before twelve with all the doors locked. Kay?"

I flicked through the forms, signing or initialing where indicated. Stopping only a second on the page labeled 'Agreement of Non-Disclosure,' Scanning down the page I was able to catch a few words 'The right to share knowledge of things seen or experienced on the company grounds of Freddy Fazbear's Pizza is denied… ' I signed off thinking 'Wow, they must really want to protect their recipes.' After that I was ushered out of the office, Rachel was called over and told what to do with me.

We visited the security office first of course, then the kitchen, then the supply closet where I picked out my uniform, they were all in men's sizes, I guess that they didn't get many female guards, after that I got my badge, and I even got a taser. Then we visited the bathroom area, and then what was to be our last stop.

She smiled as she opened the door, "This is where we put the spare parts for the robots and the decorations like streamers and balloons and stuff," she said as she started rifling through a bunch of large boxes that were stacked up to the ceiling, making a sort of wall.

Removing one of the top boxes I realized that the wall was several boxes thick. Removing the second layer revealed one more, looking through the boxes so far I paused, "Wait, are we allowed to do this? And aren't you on your shift right now?"

She snorted, "Let the other waiter handle it for now. That's what he gets for checking out my ass earlier. Besides, we might get some use out of some of this stuff in the restaurant. Most of it probably hasn't been moved since before I was born." Then she just went back to sorting through streamers, and crayons. I decided them that I liked this girl.

Shrugging, I continued to search through my boxes. Finding nothing of interest and pulling others from the stacks. It was in the last box to the back at the bottom that I found something interesting. It piqued my interest when I realized that it was too heavy to pick up. Rachel must have noticed too, because she was at my shoulder in a flash, helping me pull the tape off the top after dragging it out from between the stacks. What we saw inside confused me until I put the pieces together.

"It's a Freddy Fazbear!" The redhead exclaimed.

It did look exactly like Freddy, save for the fact that it was gold and missing the robot parts inside, and the eyes were more like cartoony looking covers, all of the pieces were carefully placed so that the entire thing could fit into the one box. Pulling it out of the box revealed that instead of an animatronic suit, it was a costume for a person instead, though it weighed a ton since the structures for it were made of metal.

Putting in the head, Rachel asked, "I'm going to tell Cass about this. I bet we could use it for advertising."

I laughed, "Have you felt how heavy this crap is? I'd have to be a lot more desperate than I am now to walk around in this."

She took off the golden bear head and shrugged, "Yeah I guess. Still neat though." Putting it back, she headed for the door.

"Wait, shouldn't we clean all of this up?" I asked and I shoved the head back in the box.

Without looking back she responded, "The janitor will get it all in the morning. He comes in a while after your shift actually. Now c'mon. I have to get back to work and you should probably take a nap or something."

"Kay." I responded, following her out.

We were about half way across the room when I stopped her with a hand to the shoulder.

She looked back, "Huh?"

Pointing towards the corner of the room to the curtained off alcove I asked, "Can we go see Foxy?"

Grabbing my hand and placing it on my chest she said, "You can. I'm working and you're and employee now, so go ahead. Just try not to let any kids see you go in there. Monkey see monkey do, you know?" she winked and was off, checking a table for orders as if she had never left her post.

I, meanwhile, shuffled over to the closed up stage and, making sure there were no children watching, slipped behind the star covered curtains and into Pirate's Cove.

As my eyes adjusted to the dim lighting, I could make out a few details of where I was. The walls were painted sky blue, with navy blue wave patterns making up the back of the set. On the floor there were the remains of a sand colored carpet, cut out in the front for reasons I didn't relish thinking about. In the left corner was a treasure chest, open and mysteriously lacking any dust on the gold painted objects inside. To the right was a big piece of plywood, cut and painted to look like a pirate ship, and on the bow were the words 'Kumander Liwayway.' I didn't know what that meant. In the middle of it all, was foxy. His jaw hung low, eyepatch flipped up, one eye drooping, and missing his suit below the knees and on his right hand. I could see his metal endoskeleton through the holes in the rest of his fur too. Yeah, Foxy the pirate had definitely seen better days, and he was creeping me out in the dark. Leaving the curtain, and soon the restaurant for the few hours I had before my shift, I biked the ten and a half block distance home, clutching my new uniform to my chest.

Running up the stairs I yelled to my mom in the living room, "Hey mom! I got a job! I have to take a nap now, I'll tell you about it tomorrow!"

I heard a faint, "Okay sweetie," before my bedroom door slammed shut behind me.

Then I tried on my new uniform. Admittedly it was pretty flattering on me. It was a simple navy blue, long sleeve button up shirt with a pocket that I could pin my badge to. It was a bit snug in the chest area, being that it was a guy's shirt, so I undid the top two buttons. The shirt was matched with a pair of identically colored slacks and a black leather belt that I pulled out of my closet. I attached the taser to the belt using the holster that they provided; noting that the taser itself looked like it had been thrown off a cliff. Pulling my hair into a ponytail, I pulled it through the hole in the back of the hat, which had 'SECURITY' stenciled on the front. I finished the look off with a little black Maglight flashlight, it just felt more official to have a flashlight, like I could pull someone over and ask them what speed they were going. I giggled at the thought and laid down on my bed thinking about the night ahead.

I must have dozed off because when I opened my eyes again it was eleven thirty. I was glad to have passed out in uniform. Checking my makeup, I wiped off my eyeshadow with a wet wipe and decided to just go as I was. No one to impress at twelve in the morning anyway. I trudged downstairs, hearing my dad snoring from my parent's room. When I got down the stairs I grabbed a protein bar and chugged a glass of milk, leaving the clean-up for morning a second time that day.

Slipping on my mom's combat boots and locking the door behind me, I hopped on my bike and raced to the pizza place. When I got there I could see Cassandra walking out. I locked my bike up to the pole again and met her at the door.

She smiled up at me, "Well don't you look fierce this evening?"

I laughed at the obvious jab, "Thanks, I'm ready to do this."

"Good. Keep that spirit all night and you just might make it." She said stonefaced.

"Uh-What?"

She forced a smile, "It was a joke sweetie. Seriously, like you said this ain't exactly a prime robbery location. Just lock the doors and go to your office."

I rubbed the inside of my arms through the long sleeves, "Heh, right. Sorry. Just a bit nervous."

She slapped me on the back and tossed a keyring into the air, which I clumsily caught, "Understandable. Now go on in. I'll see you… tomorrow."

"Kay, see ya!" I said. Walking through the doors and locking them behind me I noticed how much creepier Freddy's was at night. I unclipped my little maglight to light my way to the back office and clicked on the security monitor, checking the time I noticed that it was eleven fifty nine. I picked up the tablet and clicked on the various camera loctions before setting the thing down again and seating myself in the squishy office chair. Looking to both sides of me I notice two buttons on each side labeled 'Door' and 'Light', pushing the 'Light' buttons revealed to illuminate the areas just outside my doorways, while pushing the 'Door' buttons slammed a thick metal door into place. Flicking off the lights and opening the doors, I heard a faint sound.

* _Ding_ *

I looked back at the clock again.

12:00

Alright, my shift had finally started.

I jumped when the phone on my desk rang.

Preparing myself to answer, I picked it up, expecting a person. But instead I heard what I at first assumed to be the introductory recording that Cassandra had mentioned.

"Hello, hello? Uh, I wanted to record a message for you to help you get settled in on your first night…"

I listened to the full message, growing more and more disturbed by the man's easygoing tone by every second.

"…and remember to close the doors only if absolutely necessary. Gotta conserve power. Alright, good night."

My hand shaking, I dropped the phone onto the receiver before steeling myself.

"Come on. It was just a stupid prank or something. Geeze… Gotta talk to Cass about it in the morning"

I had almost convinced myself of that be the time I went back to checking the security cams. That is, until I saw what was on the tablet. My vision blurred in terror and a scream escaped my mouth, sounding more like puppy's whine on helium. It took a moment before my mouth could form proper words again.

"Where the fuck is bonnie?" I asked myself as I stared at the two animatronics on the screen.

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It's never a good thing when machines start moving on their own is it? Also, I'd like to note that 'Kumander Liwayway' was a military commander in the Philippines that was known to wear make-up into battle, stating that she was fighting to be who she was. Very inspirational.

Let me know how you liked it in the form of a review, I'll be continuing this story really soon so you can look forward to an next chapter soon. Ciao!


	2. Captured by a fox

I got this done really quick, right? I probably would have been done a lot sooner but I kept getting stuck near the end. I hope you like it!

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Reinventing Freddy's

Chapter Two: Captured by a Fox

"No."

That's what I remember most from the next few hours. Just, no.

First it was Bonnie. He started wandering around the restaurant before the recording was even finished. He wandered around the party room and the backstage area for the most part but I saw him stare down the halls over and over.

No.

Then it was Chica. She was even more unnerving because she kept going into the kitchen where the camera was out. I could hear pots and pans clinking through the camera's speaker and faintly through the hall to my right, then it would be silent. That's when I would have to look for her instead of focusing on Bonny.

Again, NO!

I had to switch the cameras constantly. That's when I remembered Foxy and Freddy.

Switching the camera towards the stage I nearly jumped out of my skin when I saw him staring at the camera.

'Alright at least he hasn't moved yet,' I thought 'what about foxy?'

"Oh God no…" I whispered to the fox on the screen.

He was peaking around the curtain of his stage and his eyes were pointed directly at the camera.

I stared him down through the screen for quite a while before deciding that he wasn't going anywhere. That was my first mistake, deciding that. My second mistake was not checking the kitchen next. I rolled my sleeves up, having started to fear sweat. Scanning through the cameras I saw that Freddy was in the same place as he was earlier, good. Bonnie had turned towards the camera backstage, creepy, but fine. Chica was… not in the kitchen, not in the bathrooms, not in the dining area, not in the supply closet, and I couldn't see her in any of the hall cameras. What the hell? Could she actually still be in the kitchen but not clanking around?

A glance left, through the window, nothing. A glance righ-

"OH SHIT!" My fist slammed into the door button just as she stepped around the corner. Right after that I saw her walk to the window and… and nothing I suppose, she just stared creepily. I breathed a sigh of relief, glad that she wouldn't smash through the glass to get to me. That's when I heard a sound that made my blood run cold.

ThumpthumpthumpthumpTHUMP

"NO!" I leapt across the room, my fingers brushed against the door's button before Foxy's metallic fingers slapped around my wrist.

I tried to yank my hand away but his frame didn't even shift. He remained firmly clamped to my arm, the different pieces of metal were pinching together, cutting into my skin. Still I pulled, twisted, and shook until there was blood dripping down my hand. Finally, I used my free hand to unclip the taser from my belt, I didn't know what it would do, or if it would do anything, but I couldn't just give up. Flicking the switch on the side I jabbed it towards my offender, only to have it smacked out of my hand by Foxy's hook, the hook itself leaving a nasty looking slash over the back of my hand that began gushing blood. My eyes welled with tears as I sank to the floor, into a pool of my own making, my arm still trapped in the robot's hand. This is how I would die?

I heard a slightly gravelly Scottish voice, but with more swagger, like a… pirate.

"Ya lost lad."

My head swung up so fast I saw stars, although that might have been the blood loss. The puddle I sat in was getting pretty big at this point. I looked up at the monster in front of me.

"W-What?" I asked, certain that I had imagined it.

Foxy tilted his head, his eyebrows wiggled a bit, making his eyepatch fall into place. "I said, ya lost. Time to get ye into a suit now lad."

I jumped up, and with my free hand I grabbed onto one of his shoulders. "No please! Please! I can't die here! This can't be it."

I felt pathetic, pleading for my life.

His brows furrowed, and he snapped his jaw in front of my face, and I fell back in terror. Those teeth... it was already proven that they could bite through bone.

"Now listen here lad! Fair's fair! We caught ya! That means ye lose the game! Yer going in yer suit! No complainin'!"

"no… I-I'm not an animatronic..." I whimpered, as he pulled me from the office and I slipped in my own blood, sliding into his metal foot.

"Watch it lad!" He said, steadying me, "Ya know, I've heard it before, and I don't understand it, ye should know tha' it's against the rules fer' people to be here after hours. Another thing I don't get, why do they fill these new models with that red liquid? I think tha's what makes em' break when we get im' in the suits. Makes a big mess too."

'Oh god, the guy was right.' I thought as he led, or more, dragged me out into the dining area.

"Oi! I got em'!"

It was at that point that the other animatronics joined in my death march.

Chica stomped around the corner, frowning "Foxy, you meany! I would have got him next time!" She had an almost cutesy, cheerleader voice.

At this point I knew I was going to die so I decided it couldn't hurt too horribly to be a little mouthy.

"I'm a chick you sons of bitches! Let me go!" I look nothing like a guy. Both my facial features and my figure will heartily attest to that. I'll admit to looking a bit more buff than other girls but that didn't make me look boyish, did it?

Foxy gripped my arm harder and my vision blurred. I tried to scream but no sound came out.

"Well I 'pologize fer the misunderstanding lass, but there be no need fer that kinda language." He said angrily, then switching right back to his neutral attitude, maybe a bit happier than before actually as we headed towards backstage.

Chica piped in with, "Wow! Another girl? I don't think anther girl has come along in… a long time! I hope you don't break like the other ones."

A chill ran down my back as I heard Freddy join in, "Now now, Chica don't scare the poor girl, and Foxy, you made her leak." His voice reminded me of my dad's, calm, deep, and kind, yet it held authority. "But yes, let's get you all dressed up."

Then they were all silent as I was pushed into the room before the other beings. Bonnie was still in there.

Freddie must have been paying attention the whole night because he asked, "Bon, what have you been doing in here most of the night?"

He turned towards the rest of us with a quizzical expression written on his face and responded in a voice you would imagine to come out of a cat, well, maybe not as bored sounding. It almost would have been cute if not for that fact that it was one of the last voices I was likely to hear before my murder.

"Well someone left a huge mess in here, I've been looking through a few of the boxes."

"Oh, well stop going through the party supplies and help us get our new friend into a suit." Freddy said, gesturing to me.

"Alright, should it be a Fred suit or a Bon suit?"

"Neither," Chica answered, "We finally got another girl."

Bonnie, or, "Bun" I guess, Looked surprised.

"Wow, I can't remember the last time… Well I'm afraid we only have a Freddie suit and a Bonnie suit. She'll have to wear one of ours until she gets her own."

That's when it clicked; I stood up straight and said, "Wait! I know where a- I mean, my suit is!"

They all looked at me surprised, and then they were yelling.

"Wow, really? What is it? Put it on!"

"Yar! Why'd ya not say so in the first place?"

"Yeah! What are you? Chica's right, you should put it on!"

Freddy was the last to comment, "Hm, interesting. Well where is it? I'd like to see it on you as well. The longer it's off, the longer you are breaking the rules."

I laughed nervously, "Uh, yeah. Yeah I can put it on now. But… I…"

Foxy leaned over my shoulder, making my skin crawl, "You what lass?"

Doing my best(and failing) to look happy and cooperative, I answered, "I need you to let go of my arm… and um, leave the room…"

Freddy narrowed his eyes suspiciously, "Why do we need to leave the room? If you don't mind my asking?"

My mind raced at a million miles an hour, "Be-because… I… want it to be a surprise?"

I suppose the word surprise was what got them, this place did work birthday parties after all. The four animatronics widened their eyes.

"Alright lass." Foxy left.

"I suppose. Hurry though! I wanna see it!" Bonny said excitedly as he shuffled out of the room.

Chica made a sighing sound, "Alright, but I get to see it first though."

Freddy hesitated, then started pushing Chica out, looking back over his shoulder he said, "We'll give you a few minutes." Then he closed the door and I was alone.

After I was certain that there was no way out of the room besides the way I came, I set to work, grabbing a handful of napkins from a nearby box and pressing them against my arm with the back of my damaged hand. Even in the low light I could see the bruises already forming around my wrist. The bleeding stopped a lot faster than I had even dared to hope though. Examining the torn flesh, I concluded that it wasn't as bad as I had originally thought. Grabbing more napkins, I secured them to my injured areas with party hat strings just in case they opened again. After that I stepped towards my saving grace, thanking my lucky stars that Rachel had insisted upon looking through those boxes.

I picked up the Freddy head and set it aside, saving it for later. Next I grabbed a pair of wire cutters from one of the shelves and cut the bow from the front of the costume, the costume itself looked pretty new for being stored as long as it must have been. Going back to the head, I also cut the hat off the top. Then I searched around for a tube of superglue. Finding one, I squirted a generous amount onto the back of the bow and pressed it onto the head, right above the left ear, classic Hello Kitty style.

I was just struggling into the bottom of the suit when I heard a knocking at the door, followed by Bonnie's tentative voice.

"Are you done yet?"

"No!" I shouted, "Just be patient, uh, buddy. I'll be out in a minute!"

"Okay!" He squealed, and I heard, "She called me buddy! I told you she'd warm up to us!"

I shivered, pulling up the bottom of the costume while the top flopped out before me. I had, shamefully, discarded my pants and boots, finding that I couldn't wiggle into the thing with them on because they kept bunching up and getting in the way. No big loss though, they were covered in blood anyway. Next, I clomped over to the shelves again, grabbing a sharpie marker, I hobbled back to the head, drawing on some girly eyelashes before tossing the sharpie and slipping my hands into the suit's armholes. After struggling with the zipper in the back for a minute and tossing my hat off, I grabbed the suit's helmet and plonked it onto my head, noticing the feeling of tiny metal plates pressing against my cheeks, chin, and eyebrows, they were connected to the outside of the suit so that it could make expressions, I realized. Just then I heard Freddy shout.

"Are you alright in there miss? Is there a problem? You seem to be taking an awful long ti-"

And then I rammed the door open right into the bear. I'll admit it, it made me feel really good inside, even though he only stumbled a little bit. Looking around I found that three of the animatronics were lined up in front of the doorway, smiling surprisedly at the new "bear" before them.

Chica laughed, "Wow, they made Freddy a girlfriend!"

The two standing next to her cracked up as well, bonnie having to hold onto the chicken for support. I guess they had human mannerisms too…

"That's enough!" Freddy exclaimed behind me, making us all jump. Looking back at him, I was sure that if he could blush, he would have been doing so.

I probably should have been embarrassed too but the idea was just so ridiculous that I couldn't help it. I laughed too. Then Freddy reluctantly joined in and then we were all just standing there, me and four robotic animals, just giggling and falling all over ourselves in our fits. They had just almost killed me and here I was, laughing at a joke made mostly at my expense. It was like some sort of messed up Twilight Zone crap.

After we had all calmed down Freddy clapped me on the shoulder, smiling.

"So now that you are "dressed" appropriately, what can we call you? My name is Freddy Fazbear."

I sighed in relief. There was no question to it now. They were properly convinced. Thank god.

I turned my head towards the bear and without thinking said, "Alexis."

'Wait! No! Don't give them your real name!' Too late. But I could still…

"B-But you guys can call me Ursa! Everyone does."

They all nodded in understanding before introducing themselves. Then they asked me what I thought I would be doing during business hours. I answered that I would greet families at the door and make sure that the kids played safely.

Chica piped in, "Wow! So you'll be the only one of us in free roaming mode during business hours! Cool!" She sounded a bit jealous. "You know, we used to do that too but, then there was the accident."

She shot a scathing look at foxy, who backed away from the four of us.

"It… It weren't me fault. She jus' pulled me wire…an' then…" The pirate fox backed off a few more steps before turning around, heading back to his cove with his head hung low.

I don't know what surprised me more. The fact that he felt sorry for what happened, or the fact that I felt sorry for him. I knew what it was like to be blamed for something you couldn't prevent, and he'd been locked up in his cove ever since 87 to avoid bad publicity. That was almost twenty eighty years ago, and yet he was still stuck in that dark room…

I found myself glaring at Chica, before starting after Foxy. Unused to being in the suit, I bumped a few tables as I passed. Chica mimicked a stifled giggle and was quickly hushed by Freddy.

I didn't catch up to Foxy until he was entering Pirate's Cove. Swallowing what was left of my fear, I pushed the curtains aside to see him collapsed in the middle of the floor, curled into a ball, eyes closed; making a noise that was something between a growl and a sob. It was a pitiful sight, really. I could see how bad he felt having done what he did. Avoiding the torn up spot of carpet where he was, I sat across from him.

"Foxy?"

He didn't even look up.

"Foxy, come on…"

Wringing my hands and ignoring the pain that went through them, I decided to approach the situation the same way I would with a kid. I thought for a moment, 'What would get a child's attention?'

"Foxy, I know what you did."

His crying seemed to halt all of the sudden, and he peered at me over his knee joints. I can't say that his sad puppy face was cute, but it was pretty pitiful.

"I-It weren't my fault…"

The poor thing looked like he was afraid I would hit him.

"I know Foxy," I said, "I know. But you feel sorry for it don't you? I know it wasn't your fault."

"Really? Are ye serious? No tricks?" His eyes searched my face for something, deception maybe.

"No tricks. Does Chica trick you?" I asked.

"Aye. She be mad at me still, fer… what I did…" He was closing up again and I had to bring him back out of it.

"Well I'm not mad at you Foxy. I'm sorry that it happened to you."

He stared at me disbelievingly, "Ta me? But tha' little gir-"

"I know about the girl. Do you want to know something though?"

"Wha- Yes I suppose but how do ye know?"

I hesitated, could I tell him? I'd have know more first. Seeing as he was vulnerable and not very likely to catch on, I went for it.

"Alright, but first, I need to ask you some questions, okay?"

"Alrigh'," He nodded.

"Why were you trying to stuff me into a suit?"

He frowned hard. "Tha's easy lass. It be against the rules to be about without yer costume on."

I mulled over my next question. "Alright, but why didn't you believe me when I told you I was human?"

He waved his hook dismissively, "People aren't aloud here after we close. Tha's the rules."

'Again with the damn rules!' I thought.

"Well what if it there was an exception to that rule?"

"Like what lass?" He looked on curious.

Shrugging my shoulders, I said, "Um, like a night guard? Maybe?"

"Well, I guess we'd jus' leave im' be. Why?"

I let out a long drawn out sigh, and took the Freddy- oops, "Ursa" head off. My hair came out of its ponytail, tumbling down to my mid back.

"Because I am a night guard, and I want to be safe."

Foxy looked shocked, "But- Ye have yer own costume-"

I smirked despite myself, "Borrowed from backstage. Foxy, look at my face very closely, does it look like an endoskeleton?"

"No. It doesn't lass," The fox grinned at me, "Tha' was clever!" Then his look became haunted, "But… does that mean tha' all the others…"

He was thinking of all of the other "endoskeletons" he and his crew had stuffed through the years.

No doubt they had.

Thinking quick, I shook my head no, "Ah, n-no. I'm the first one they've hired!"

He was relieved, "Thank goodness fer that lass. I couldn't handle any more lives on my hand."

"Er, yeah. Anyway. The girl."

His ears flattened against his head, the sad Foxy look was back.

I reached my hands up to stop him from saying anything, "Wait wait wait! It's fine! She lived, she's fine."

His whole demeanor changed in an instant, he immediately jumped up, ears perked. I had to admit, even though this was a seven foot tall, beat to hell robot with a hook for a hand and sharp teeth, it was kind of cute.

"Really? I thought fer sure…"

I smiled up to him, "She was sent to the hospital, not the morgue. She does have scar, and memory loss. She can't remember much of anything from before the atta- um, accident, but she's fine now."

I left out the part about the nightmares and hallucinations but aside from that I was telling the truth.

The fox tackled me into a hug.

"Agh! Heavy! Really heavy! Foxy I need air to live. Ack! You landed right on my fucking chest! Get off!"

He scrambled to comply, "Sorry lass."

He didn't look sorry.

After making sure nothing was broken, I asked, "So, if you don't mind the question, why don't you perform anymore? And why, if you've been out of order for so long, haven't they done anything with you?"

He fiddled with his hook, "I don't know lass, they probably dun want me ta scare the little mateys. I be waitin' fer the day they part me off."

'Well that's a sad existence,' I thought. 'why haven't they yet?'

"No. If they've kept you this long, then there must be a reason. I'll talk to the manager, see what's going on. Right now, let's go out and see the others. I'm going to need some help."

"What we be doing?"

Holding the curtain open, I gathered my hair into a bunch and slipped the "Ursa" head on.

"Well, you are going to go and explain that I'm not an animatronic, and that I'm aloud to be here, and I'm going to go and find some new pants. You kinda drenched my old ones in blood."

"…Sorry."

I sighed, "It's fine. I'll live. Probably. Now let's go before I have to drag you by the ear."

He smirked at that, "Ye could try matey."

"And it might come off, get out here." I deadpanned.

He strode by without a word and I told him, "Alright, you go explain, and I'll get dressed."

He groaned in mock disappointment, "I like ye just how ye are lass."

"Shut it patchy." I said with a smile as I headed back to the supply closet near the office, and he to the other animatronics.

I was just slipping on a new pair of pants when I heard a knock on the door.

"Uh, who is it?"

"Freddy. Can I speak with you?" He said.

"Are you going to try and "put me in costume" again?"

"No. I'm- We, are very, very sorry about that."

"It's fine," I said, opening the door, "Besides, you failed anyway right?"

He frowned, "Well technically we did get you into a suit."

"Haha! Well I suppose you're right. C'mon bear, let's go talk."

I walked past him, down the hall, and was immediately set upon by Chica and Bonnie.

"I'm so sorry, I can't believe we almost-"

"Save it, it's done. We're good, we're over it. Let's go sit by the stage everyone."

As I led the animatronics toward the stage I thought of what I was going to say. How would I break it to them that their business was dying? But maybe they already knew. It was obvious enough. The place looked almost like an old photograph. The colors had been washed out and everything just looked sad. The animatronics, upon closer inspection, looked tattered and dusty, hell, foxy wasn't even in service.

'I bet I could fix him' I thought, staring over at the fox.

Wait… I bet I could.

* * *

Now I know that some of you may be thinking, "Wow, she sure got over almost dying pretty quick, how convenient." But I have to tell you, having almost died a few times before(Need to buy some rope for rock climbing), sometimes you just have to laugh it off, and ignore the shaking of your legs.

Besides that, how was it? We're just about to get to the main story line, and I need to know if this is worth continuing. I have other stories I could be working on.

Review guys, review.


	3. The Idea, the Plan, the Fox

Reinventing Freddy's

Chapter Three: The Idea, the Plan, the Fox

. . .

We spent the whole night talking about our plan, eventually moving me back to the security office where I could watch the monitors and talk with them at the same time. During that time I started to really like the Fazbear bunch.

Freddy was the leader, obviously. He was kind and effective at breaking up the arguments that broke out between the others. He liked to be in the middle of everything and thought about everything he said before he said it. He was a voice of reason and acted pretty proper for the most part, almost annoyingly so, pulling out a chair for me to sit, asking if I my injuries were okay, even offering me a beverage.

Chica, I learned was a bit rude, but I don't think she meant to be. Unlike Freddy she just didn't think before she spoke, and never really realized when she said something hurtful or offensive. She was quick to apologize if it was pointed out and I pretty quickly desensitized myself to whatever she might say. It's not like she meant it.

I eventually asked her if she actually made any of the pizzas and got the answer I had pretty much expected.

"We're robot. We don't need to eat why would I waste my time with it, weirdo?"

Bonnie seemed to be interested in just about anything anyone said, especially me since I was new. He had an active imagination and couldn't wait to share his thoughts, many of which twisted around so much that I almost didn't bother trying to keep up. His personality didn't fit his looks at all; he was too big, too tall. I imagine that if it did he would just look like really smart little kid, maybe with a pair of glasses.

Foxy seemed to be the quiet sort, mostly only speaking up when he deemed it important, or when the topic of conversation was directed toward him, which it was for most of the night. Other than that he seemed content to sit in the background and listen to what was around him. He did like to crack jokes once in a while, and though they were usually pretty corny I found myself laughing at each one. I did figure out that he loved telling stories and he was really good at it, gradually adjusting the tone and intensity for his audience. I'm not one to hang on every word but his fables were pretty darn interesting. I even found myself swaying along to a pirate song he claimed to have made up on the spot.

I didn't have my phone or ipod but I sang them a few songs I knew as the night progressed, some recently made and some too old or obscure for them to have heard. Foxy especially liked _Hoist the Colours_ and the others loved music from the early 1900s and pop songs from the late nineties, the overall favorite was _Play a Simple Melody_ , which they sang to the point that I hated it. Thanks guys.

By the time I even thought to look at the clock, it was already almost six. By then I was tired, and we had pretty much worked everything out, so I told them all to get back in their places while I cleaned up the mess, well messes. First I had to wipe up all of the blood, put the "Ursa" suit back, dump my old pants in the trash, and reequip my belt and taser. After that I had to clean up the art supplies(Crayons, pencils, paper…) I then made my way to the main office, leaving something in there for later.

I had all of that finished rather quickly, it was just after six ten when I unlocked the front doors and was faced with Cassandra. She looked surprised; she was standing next to my bike with bolt cutters in one hand and my bike chain in the other. After the night I'd had, I didn't even blink. I knew what she was doing. She got here, saw that my bike was still sitting there, assumed I was dead, and was about to start hiding evidence. Clever girl. It was still pretty dark but the sky was just starting to light up. It was pleasantly cool compared to the heated day before. I bet the joggers weren't even out yet.

I sauntered up to her, "Find something you like?"

She dropped the chain and grasped the tool in both hands, "N-Now hold on! I-"

"Shut it Cass. I know what you were doing. Pay for my bike chain and we can call it even. Now sit with me, I have some things to discuss with you." I rested on the curb, patting the spot next to me with my now bad hand.

She looked nervous but complied, hands still grasping the bolt cutters. I raised my eyebrow and began my part of the conversation.

"Look, I know you sent me in there to die-"

"B-But you signed the full nondisclosure agree-"

"SHUT UP!" I screamed.

She flinched, and fumbled as the bolt cutters slipped from her hand. Yeah, I enjoyed that.

"As I was saying, the only reason I'm not going to the police is because of them." I pointed towards the front door with my thumb.

She looked perplexed, "Them? But didn't they try to… you know?"

I stared back boredly, "Yeah. I'm good at making friends out of enemies. Turns out they're not that bad, Chica's kind-of a brat sometimes but I don't think she means it, the others are pretty chill."

She stared at me, "Does that mean you aren't quitting?"

Lying down I sighed, "Yeah. More than that though."

"What?"

"First, how have you not been shut down yet?"

She looked even more uncomfortable, if that's possible, "I have a few friends who are good at… making things go away, good at interrupting phone calls and many other things. I won't go any further into it than that. The people I hired were almost always single, and lived alone. They were easy for my… friends, to take care of. You're the first I've hired that actually had a life at home."

"But the public files and stuff…"

"Were changed. People move a lot these days," She said solemly.

"Alright that's disturbing, and slightly familiar. So second question, why do you still have Foxy if he's been out of order so long?"

She bit her lip, and some of her lipstick came off onto her teeth. "Well, there's actually more than one reason. See, this restaurant used to belong to my father. I inherited it. My father loved kids, and he majored in computer technology and advanced robotics. He was a man ahead of his time, really. He knew things about programming and data storage that the CIA still can't imagine. He created those animatronics himself, and one more, though he never finished it. He tried to teach me how to reprogram them, fix them, and all of that. I've always been helpless with that sort of thing though, and I think it made him a bit sad actually."

"He never blamed Foxy for what happened, and he kept everyone's spirits up after the disappearing children incident. He died of lung cancer back in 1993, just when the restaurant seemed to be recovering, and it really affected everyone here, most of the employees quit and the animatronics were really sad for a long time. His dying wish was that I keep the business going, keep making the kids smile, keep the bots safe. He really did love them, so do I, they're like the little siblings I never had, that's why I hire night guards. I'm trying my best to keep up but I'm failing. I actually got permission from the state to put Foxy back on stage but we don't have the funds to fix him, or his suit."

I smiled up at her, "Aw, that actually made me hate you a bit less. Here."

I pulled a piece of printer paper out of my shirt pocket and handed it to her, making sure that the bloody napkins on my arm brushed against her hand. Unfolding it revealed a hand drawn picture of Foxy, front and back, or, what we all hoped to turn him into anyway. The animatronics and I had spent the entire night on his new design, and Bonnie had insisted on naming it Foxy 2.0. After studying the fox closely I was able to get a pretty good feel for the structure of his suit, and we worked from that.

Foxy's new costume design was pretty cool looking, it had to be, he had insisted it be the coolest.

The design we had decided upon held some resemblance to his old one. The colors were the same, and he still had tan colored trousers, though new, his hook, a few gold teeth, and his basic body shape albeit a bit thinner near the stomach, but that's about where the resemblance ended. We had all decided to make it look a more like he was alive so to do that, I made it so that instead of multiple suit parts to make it all one piece for the body, and one for the head. I had focused mostly on making him kid friendly, and that meant making him cute. How do you make pretty much anything cute you ask? Make it fluffy. Instead to the plain felt covering that all of the other animatronics had, I decided that we would replace it with a fake fur covering. Easy to find at a large fabric store, I was sure it wouldn't take too long to get.

Then there was his head, the first thing I did was smooth out his facial features so that he would look more lifelike. It was hard because I knew I couldn't alter the endoskeleton, and the plates on the inside still needed to be able to make expressions but I made it work. By putting flexible ears in the head instead of having them poke out of the top it made him look more real. Then it was the eyes. By narrowing them I was able to make them more regular shaped for a fox, instead of the wide eyed glare that they had going on before.

Last was the big furry tail, which had fallen off years ago. According to foxy he had woken up one day feeling lighter, and there it was behind him. It was stripped bare now but all that would take is some fluffy fabric and some stuffing.

With all that put together, Foxy would look better than the rest of the Fazbear crew.

Cass stared at the picture almost longingly, before letting it fall to the ground. I could see tears in her eyes.

"I already told you. I can't afford it."

I picked the paper up without looking and put it back in my pocket before asking, "Can you afford my first paycheck?"

She sighed, "Barely, yeah."

I slipped her a sly smile, "Alright, give it to me in advance and we can have a whole new Foxy by the middle of next week."

Cass looked at me funny.

"What," I asked, "It's only Monday. I know a few people. All I really need it for is the fabric, pants, stuffing, that sort of stuff."

She hesitated before giving in, "Fine. But if you screw him up… I just don't know what I'll do with you…"

"Pffft. You worry too much. Now let's go get one of those nondisclosure forms and my paycheck, I've gotta phone a friend. Where's your phone? I left my cell at home."

* * *

Yeah, this chapter is a bit of a shorty. I like to separate my plot points though you know? The next chapter is already half written though so... yay.

As always, read and review, and if you,like this story, follow it. I ain't gonna quit any time soon.


	4. Check-ups

And we're back! Ever since school started, I have not had the time, nor the energy to write. But seeing as how school was cancelled today because of a gas leak, I took it as a sign and finished this chapter just for you! **Aren't you special? Of course you are you little scamp!**

* * *

Reinventing Freddy's

Chapter Four: Check-Ups

I almost couldn't resist laughing out loud as Cassandra led me towards her office. Opening the door and turning the lights on, she screamed while I smiled at the golden Freddy head on her desk. I just knew her reaction would be priceless.

She clutched her chest, "Where the hell did that thing come from?"

Shrugging, I picked up her phone and dialed my friend's number. "A box. I'm pretty sure I owe Rachel my life by the way."

She shuddered and walked over to a filing cabinet, pulling out a series of papers she slapped one onto her desk and pulled out her checkbook. Doing the math, she wrote out how much I would earn in a week. It looked painful, as if she was signing away her soul. I would have felt bad for her had she not sent me into a deathtrap.

After no more than three rings, I heard a voice on the other end of the line.

"Hey, Larry here. Who's this?"

"Hey Lan it's Lexi, can you come down here?"

"Well where the hell is "here"?"

I paused before answering, "… Freddy's. I have need of your mechanic skills."

"What the hell are you doing at Freddy's at six twenty? Ugh, nevermind Lex, you know my skills aren't cheap. You can't afford me."

"You sound like a stripper Lan. Um, you know that favor you owe me? I'm cashing in."

After that I heard a shout, "Fucking finally! I thought you were gonna hold that over me 'til I died of old age!"

"HA! As if you'll last that long. You coming or not?"

I heard a muffled sigh from the other end of the line, "Alright I'm coming. Keep your panties on."

I snorted, "Knowing you'll be coming here, I kinda want to put on another pair. Hurry up, we don't got all day."

"Coming mom." He hung up.

Cass heard my end of the conversation, "Who was that?"

"My friend Larry, he can fix practically anything. Foxy's jaw should be as good as new in no time, tail too. I'm also gonna make him run a diagnostics check on everyone."

I had met Larry after sneaking into a club when I was sixteen, and he spent the better half of the night trying to get into my pants. It was only after I confessed my age that he backed off a little. He was pretty hammered and I was too nice to tell him to screw off so we ended up talking for most of the night and exchanged numbers. He was actually a pretty good guy sober, and we had practically become siblings over the last two years. He was infamous as a hacker around his college and broke into their local area network all the time, changing grades of people who had more money than brains, hence the nickname, "Lan." Surprisingly he's never been caught.

Cass looked overjoyed. "What was this favor he owed you?"

"Oh, I set him up with his fiancé." I replied casually, "They're practically identical in the way they think, I'm pretty sure I created a monster by introducing them actually."

She pursed her lips, "Yay. Why does he need a form?"

"He's a huge conspiracy theorist, and a pretty smart guy. I'm going to need to turn the free roam mode on while he's here so he can do a full check right? I want to be able to shut him up if I need to."

She grunted, but didn't say anything as I walked out of her office, slipping the form into my back pocket on the way out and strolled to the entrance to wait for Lan.

Fifteen minutes later the janitor, an old man with a slight limp came in. I waved to him and threw my "bandages" in his cart. It took nearly thirty minutes for Lan to arrive.

"There you are asshole! Took you long enough."

He stepped out of his red pickup truck with a wide grin plastered to his face, "And there you are! If it isn't my favorite prostitute! The slutty security guard!"

Lan is a lanky guy with dirty blond hair cut to look all choppy, as if he'd cut it himself. He wore a pair of slim glasses low on his nose and liked to peer over them as he talked.

He and I had a special relationship. Kind of like a brother and sister, but even more brutal and much more vulgar.

Frowning, I looked down at myself, "How is this "Slutty"?"

"Ah, must be the person wearing it." He laughed.

"That says more about you than it does me, especially since you said the word 'favorite'" I retorted. "It's good to see you bro. C'mon, I've got a lot of work for you."

"You too, let me get my stuff." He said, as he dragged a heavy toolbox out of the truck bed and followed me in.

"So what did you want me to do here?" he asked.

"Repairs, dumb-dumb."

As I led him toward Pirate Cove he stopped me. Grabbing my wrists, and earning a hiss of pain from me, he studied my wounds.

"What the hell did this?"

I snatched my arms away from him, "I'm the new night guard here. Injuries come with the job," I said, feeling my wrist throb. It was a gross purple color by now, and the areas just around the cuts were an angry red. I'd have to wrap them when I got home, maybe pour on some peroxide. I really wish my tetanus shots were up to date. Ignoring that, I slipped the form into his hand along with my pen.

After scrolling down the page he looked at me questioningly. I just rolled my eyes and motioned for him to sign the damn thing.

"Lex, this is, from what I can tell, an iron clad confidentiality agreement. You work for a kiddie pizza place with a messy history. Do you seriously expect me to just sign away on anything you wave in my face because you introduced me to the love of my life?"

After a moment of deliberation I pinched the bridge of my nose then fanned my hand out as I spoke, "You know what? Yeah I do. I'll give you another reason too. You know I love you like a brother, but you are an impulsive bastard. You can hardly be trusted to keep even the tiniest of secrets."

He opened his mouth to argue but seemed to sense that my current mood was set to _Don't fuck with me_ and he immediately shut it again, signing the paper with a discontented sigh.

I parted the curtains and we both stepped inside the dark space.

It was just as dark as last time but I slipped my flashlight out to illuminate the area. Shining it onto Foxy, I could almost feel Lan tense up next to me.

"So this is your project right here." I said as I walked up to the fox, "He seems to work okay but his jaw is broken and the joints squeak. There's probably more than that but that's what you're here for."

"Why couldn't you hire a regular mechanic?" he asked with a frown.

Instead of answering I looked for some sort of access hatch in the back of Foxy's head. I searched for minutes, eventually giving up and taking the head of the suit off. I immediately regretted it. I guess I wasn't really paying much attention to what was on the backstage table the night before because Lan wasn't the only one to flinch at the sight.

Without the costume's head there was just the animatronic one. If I had thought that they were a bit creepy looking in the first place while they were in costume, this blew that out of the water. The head was basically a rectangular box with teeth and eyeballs on it, it had wires connected to the back of it and upon closer inspection I saw that there was a small panel on the back lower half. The only things to identify it as a fox were the ears jutting out from the top

I let out a huff of offence. This was what they had mistaken me for? Really?

There would be words.

Handing the fox head at Lan, I popped the cover off the back to see a series of ten switches, all unlabeled. Not knowing quite which one to flick I just started flicking at random. The first one made his eyes light up. The second one made them whirr, I assume they were focusing. The third one initiated some weird clicking sounds, I turned it off faster than the others. The fourth one made the jaw snap shut and then open again, at least I now knew it was the costume that needed repaired. I was beginning to wonder whether or not these were just for system checks when I flipped the fifth one and a shudder ran through him.

I was about to turn it back off when I heard, "Oi! Wha' are ye doin' with me head?!"

I chuckled at the mixture of confusion and horror plastered across Lan's face as he gaped at the animatronic before him.

"What wrong Lan?" I sneered, "Are you gonna pee your pants? Did you do it already? Please tell me you did."

He reddened and glared at me, "That only happened once, and I was holding it for like, five hours!"

"Are ye th' repairman lad?" Foxy interjected.

We both grimaced at the talking robot plate before I grabbed the head and shoved it back onto foxy with a click.

I brightened, "Yes he is. Foxy, this is Larry. Lan, this is Foxy."

Lan just stared incredulously. Foxy tried to smile, but his mouth fell down so that he almost looked hungry. After a bit, his "smile" faded and his eyes cast downward, he began to pick at the remaining felt covering his legs. Great start.

"…Well?" I said, poking Lan between the eyes.

He straightened and frowned at me.

"No."

My eyebrow quirked, "No?"

"No," he said again, "I'm not doing it. It's creepy, and weird."

Foxy's ears lowered at that.

"Um, if you were describing yourself then you left out rude, you assclown."

He huffed and started to make his way out, but I stopped him with a hand on his shoulder and whispered into his ear, "The CIA doesn't even know about this level of artificial intelligence yet."

I should have led with something like that because the moment the words left my mouth things started running smoothly, after I made Lan apologize that is. They both swapped stories as Foxy was repaired bit by bit, starting from the top and moving down. I honestly didn't pay much attention to the process at all though I knew I should have. At first it was because I was caught up in my own thoughts but as the minutes passed my eyelids grew heavy, I didn't want to go and sleep in my gross, dirty, disgusting office and I didn't want to leave Lan alone here at this time so I settled onto a corner in the back of the cove and nodded off.

They woke me about two hours later to see that Lan had lived up to his whole miracle worker expectation.

Foxy's endoskeleton was as shiny as new when they shook me to alertness. His tail was in it's proper place and it swung back and forth so fast it could have just as easily been a helicopter blade. His legs were now rust free and shined. His mouth was working perfectly again, giving me a menacing puppydog smile, even his eyes seemed to glow more brightly. Besides the whole costume replacement he couldn't have looked better.

After calming the Fox down and switching him back off of his free roam mode, I told Lan to take care of the others too. I was honestly too tired to worry about anything that could go wrong with them meeting him alone while I was gone. After tossing the crumpled confidentiality form into Cass's office I stumbled out the doors, got on my bike and took a lazy, wobbling ride home. It was only as I opened the front door of my parents' house that I remembered. I hadn't told them anything about my job besides the fact that I had one now. I didn't tell them my hours, and I didn't have my cell with me.

I should have just slept in my gross, dirty, disgusting office.

* * *

No matter who you are, no matter what you do, if your parents raised you right, then you fear them at least a little.

 **Can I get a show of hands for how many people hate school with a passion? Anyone, anyone?**


	5. Over the River and Trough the Woods

Here's my next installment of Reinventing Freddy's!

*Silence*

...Just read the friggin' story then.

* * *

Reinventing Freddy's

Chapter Five: Over the River and Through the Woods

...

"Do you have any idea how worried we've been?"

Yes I got that part.

"When I got up in the middle of the night, do you know what I saw?"

No. But you're gonna tell me.

"I walked by your room and saw the door, wide open, and no one in the bed."

Wow, what an anomaly.

"You didn't take your phone,"

What did people do before phones?

"You didn't leave a note,"

Oh yeah, that.

"I searched the house, called your friends, checked your texts-"

Aaaaaaand that's my breaking point.

"You checked my texts?! That is a complete invasion of my privacy!"

She rolled her eyes, "Oh please, as if there was anything to hide," she said, waving my phone before me.

"That's not the point!," I snatched it from her surprised fingers. "That's my stuff! And what if there was?! You're not ashamed at all are you?"

"No! I'm not! I have every right to worry with your condition!"

Yeah, I might as well fess up, I do have a "condition." Ever since I was little I have experienced what the doctors call night terrors. They don't happen every night, and they aren't usually that scary until I wake up. I just dream really vividly and sleepwalk. The scary part is that I'll not really be in control of my own body and I'm pretty capable of performing complex tasks like opening doors, eating, having nonsense conversations, or sometimes just standing there, vacantly.

My dad was walking up the stairs one night while I was having a night terror and when he saw me staring wide-eyed like a crazy person he toppled down the stairs and sprained his wrist. After that we locked my door when I slept for a while, until one night my mom heard a banging at my door and went to check on me. Then the banging stopped and when she opened my bedroom door I was opening the window of my second story bedroom to step out. I would have fallen onto our car had my mom not found the strength to subdue me until I came to my senses. I was babbling on and on about "The Little Ones," whatever those were.

Since then we took the usual rout that one would with any problem such as this one. Throw drugs at it until it goes away. It's become routine, take a pill an hour before bed, don't accidentally go cement diving in our driveway. It works like, 99% of the time with me but there is still that one time out of one hundred when I'll wake up in the kitchen with ten bowls of cereal and no idea what just happened. So I suppose my mom may have had a point but that's my cellphone, and you've got to defend your lifelines.

"I- You know what? Fine, screw it. I'm going to grandma's house." With that, I walked right out the door, got on my bike, and rode away. After a few minutes of riding I felt my cell buzz.

I pulled it out while pedaling (number one driver right?) and checked the message, it was my mom.

 _Mom:_ _What happened to your arm & hand?_

 _Me:_ _Machine malfunction at work. Won't happen again._

 _Mom:_ _Alright. Wrap them. I want a full explanation when I get home._

 _Me:_ _Kk._

I knew she'd cool down fast if I wasn't there. I could make something up by the time I got home.

...

My grandmother's name is Clairene, and she is the most spectacular woman I know. She had my mom when she was sixteen, and moved from her parent's house at seventeen, working at a diner while finishing high school, then later completing college near the top of her class while balancing a job and a child. She got married two years later to a physics professor and they lived together until he died of heart disease at a young age.

"I told him so many times to cool down on the doughnuts," She'll say,"but he was just as stubborn as me. I'm still eating the darned things."

After my grandpa died, she decided to focus more on art, and opened the front room of her house as an art studio. My grandma is phenomenal at any type of art you could think of, drawing, painting, sculpting, quilting, she's even a great seamstress. She made my dress for prom and most of my Halloween costumes so I figured that if anyone could revamp Foxy, it would be her.

She lives in a big one story brick house that she and my grandpa built. The house sits right on the edge of the busy part of town, with a sign out front that says in a swirling font, 'Auntie Claire's Arts & Design" with her number displayed below.

I walked in to see her in the middle of the room, paintbrush in hand, putting the finishing touches on a huge, insanely detailed chart of coastal birds.

"Hey grams, commission?"

Without even looking she replied, "Yes dear, I'm just finishing the feathers on this wandering tattler. Go put some tea on?"

"Kay."

I was just setting the cups down when she came in to the dining room to give me a big, paint splattered hug which I returned with enthusiasm.

After separating and sitting down she suddenly snatched up my right hand, "What happened here, Alexis? You aren't fighting again are you?" She said that last part with far more suspicion than I would have preferred.

I waved her away and poured the tea, "No it's nothing like… well it's not that. I got a job."

"As what?" She asked, grabbing a cup," A bear's chew toy?"

"A night guard," I replied," down at Freddy's."

She looked like she'd just eaten something sour, "Now what do they need security for? That place has been dying since just after your mother was born, why on earth would they need to guard that old dusty place?"

"Trust me, they have their reasons. But I do think that there's gonna be a turnaround for them though. That's part of why I'm here actually."

She raised an eyebrow to that.

"See," I continued," there were some... well, you see… this is what happened."

I laid the whole story out. I didn't leave out a single detail. I walked her through my night from the phone call, to being caught, to putting on the suit, my talk with foxy, everything. My grandmother was a good listener; she sat through it all, sipped her tea, and said nothing until my tale was finished.

"Well. You've had quite the night haven't you? Oh those poor things. Especially Foxy, being so broken. You're doing a good thing, I'll help out of course dear, and Larry may be a bit of a spaz but he's got your back too, you know he does. I wouldn't tell your parents if I was you, or anyone else for that matter, but I think we'll do fine by our lonesome. In fact, you know what?"

I couldn't help but smile.

"What grandma?"

She stole the paper from my pocket in one quick swipe and spread it out before her. Taking a pencil from her "work clothes", she started furiously scribbling as she spoke.

"You go wash up and take a nap in the guest room while a make a list and take care of some things around here. I'll wake you up later then we can go gather supplies. We'll both go to sleep and get you to work tonight and I can take proper measurements and start cutting the fabric then. We can knock this project out in a few days, yes?"

I couldn't deny the excited gleam in her eye, I knew I had the coolest grandma ever.

"You bet."

* * *

So, it's the holidays, and you know what I want? Your reviews!

 **Happy holidays everyone!**


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